Posts Tagged "Welcome Back"

I haven’t written extensively about it here, but over the last ten weeks or so, I have been laid up with pain from a pinched nerve in my back. For the last two-and-a-half months, I have been virtually bed-ridden. I have missed church, missed work, missed birthdays, and missed normal day-to-day interaction outside of my immediate family. Through it all, God has proven himself gracious, sufficient and always in control. That, however, is a post for another day.

This is not a post about the pain or the missed time, this is a post about going back. You see, Sunday was my first real day back at church teaching God’s kids. Of all the things I missed while I was laid up, teaching children’s ministry and running games in AWANA were at the top of my list, and I couldn’t wait to get back to doing both. More than even that though, I was looking forward just to getting back into active community with those I minister alongside and those who are part of my local church.

But, something happened this weekend that really struck me. I attend a fairly large church (around 2,000 people), and I was absolutely taken aback by the number of people who approached me to ask how I was doing and see if I was feeling better. What astounded me even more than that was the number of them that I didn’t even really know personally. Even more astounding yet were the number of kids (from Kindergarten through Fifth grade) who came up to me to tell me that they had missed me and that they were glad I was back. Many even asked how my back was doing. It really was heart warming for me to see and feel how God’s community works and cares for one another.